The American Revolution: A War for Independence

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The American Revolution was a war for independence. It was a war which was fought for equal rights and the freedom of a would be nation. It showed the pure courage and heart of the American colonists by pitting them against a much more powerful opponent. The British had the best army in the world, and the colonists were often just poor farmers armed with their hunting muskets. It was truly a case of David versus Goliath. The reasons, course, and outcome of the American Revolution provided the perfect scenario for achieving independence.

The ideas behind the revolution came much earlier than 1776. They came from deep within the Enlightenment. Although there was not much support behind these ideas, it is important to note that they existed.

Stress had been building in the colonies since the end of the Seven Years’ War. For the first time ever there was a standing British army in the colonies. The British had nearly doubled their national debt defending their colonies, and they felt it was time for the colonies to start contributing some money. The colonists were expected to care for the British soldiers in the colonies. They would feed, clothe, and house these soldiers. The soldiers were there for the soul purpose of tightening England's grip on her colony. Needless to say, this did not please the colonists very much. They had enjoyed freedom under a neglectful Britain in the early 1700’s. Now they face the possibility of losing all they had gained.

The American Revolution was directly set off by continuous arguments over increased taxes. The first tax to come was in the form of the Navigation Acts. The Navigation Acts "were acts passed by the British Parliament to regulate colonial tra...

... middle of paper ...

...ship and cunning diplomacy the colonists surprised the world and won their independence.

Works Cited

- Buckler, John, Bennett D. Hill, and John P. McKay. A History of Western Society.

Boston, PA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975.

- Lecky, William E. H. The American Revolution 1763-1783. New York, NY: D. Appleton and

Company, 1924.

- Morgan, Edmund S. The Birth of the Republic, 1763-1789. Chicago, IL: The University

of Chicago Press, 1956.

- Morris, Richard B. The American Revolution ‘A Short History’. Huntington, NY: Robert

E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1955.

- Stokesbury, James L. A Short History of the American Revolution. New York, NY:

William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991.

- Ward, Harry M. The American Revolution: Nationhood Achieved 1763-1788. New York, NY:

St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1995.

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